


First Date

by Mako_Octo



Series: Dream Job [6]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Boss/Employee Relationship, Dream Job, First Date, M/M, daniel birch and michael dennis, dominant/ submissive relationship, gay date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 21:24:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mako_Octo/pseuds/Mako_Octo
Summary: Daniel Birch and Michael Dennis have their first date together. Things get wet ;)





	First Date

I couldn’t relax. Sitting on my couch, my leg tapped rapidly against the floor. My eyes kept checking my clock, as if the time drastically changed since I last glanced at it moments ago. At the beginning of the week, Mr. B- er, Daniel had told me that he wanted to take me on a real date that weekend. I agreed, but it all still felt like a fantasy. Now that Saturday had arrived, my nerves had taken over entirely. 

I tugged on my shirt, straightening the wrinkles that appeared as I sat. Daniel said that we were going to dinner, but he had something planned for after. I wasn’t sure how to dress for that, so I put on my nicest jeans and a dress shirt. I wiped my sweaty palms along my thighs every few minutes.

I glanced up at the clock again, 16:45. Daniel should be here at 17:00. I stood up and began to pace the kitchen. As I walked, I picked up the random items from the counter, only to place them back down. The noise of my steps and the clanging of the jars and such was loud enough to cause my roommate, Barry to open his door and stick his head out.

“Sorry.” I told him when he looked at me annoyed.

“Going out somewhere?” Barry asked, bracing himself against the door frame of his room. I smiled and nodded, too embarrassed to explain that I was going out with my boss. He smiled at me and spoke again, “Looks like a date. Did you get flowers?” My eyes grew wide with alarm. 

“No! I haven’t gotten anything! Should I have?” I panicked, scanning the kitchen for anything I could present as a gift. Barry laughed and disappeared into his room again. I thought he had abandoned me, but then he came back out with a rose. I stared at him as he walked up to me, holding it up.

“You just have that in your room?” I asked. He laughed and tossed the flower to me. I dove to the ground to gently catch the rose, realizing only after I felt it in my fingers that it was plastic with fabric petals.

“I have a box full of these. I take one on every date I go on.” Barry explained proudly. I turned the false stem in my hands. It looked just like a real rose, complete with thorns that were rather sharp. “Just tell her that it’s meant to last forever.” Barry continued, “That way she won’t question why it’s fake.” I smiled at him and nodded.

“Thank you.” I replied, wondering how long Barry had assumed that I was straight. This was the first date he had ever seen me leave for, and we never talked about romance or relationships. 

Barry nodded to me and slunk back toward his room. “Well, have fun. I won’t wait up.” He smiled wryly, before closing his door behind him. I could never tell if he actually enjoyed my company, or saw me more as a nuisance. I turned the flower in my hands again and smiled. It was simple, yet the rose said that I was thinking of you. I hoped Daniel would like it.

As if the thought conjured him, the front door signaled Daniel's arrival with a knock. I straightened my shirt again, and ran my fingers through my hair, suddenly wishing I owned styling gel. I walked to my door, took a deep breath, and swung open the door. 

The first thing I saw was a simple daisy bouquet. The second was the incredibly trimmed man holding them up with a dashing smile. I sighed and nearly fell against the door frame at the sight of him. Recognizing the flowers, I stood up and held out my plastic rose. 

“This is for you!” I exclaimed, my voice much higher than I meant it to be. Daniel chuckled and plucked the plastic flower from my hand.

“Thank you Michael.” I watched him twist it in his fingers, likely wondering why I had just given him a plastic flower. I cringed as he continued to examine it.

“It’s so you last forever.” I squeaked out, only to realize from Daniel’s raised eyebrow what I had said. “No! It’s um… the flower. It will last… f-forever. B-because it’s fake.” My heart raced into my chest as I tried to put the explanation into words. If I had the ability to freeze time, I would have just so I could slam my face into the wall for being such a buffoon. If it wasn’t for his genuine smile, I would have felt certain that Daniel thought the same thing about me.

“It’s so thoughtful, Michael.” He leaned down to my cheek and planted a soft kiss there. Warmth from blush suddenly rushed into my face at the contact of his lips. I almost felt guilty for not coming up with the idea myself.

He stood straight and handed me the bouquet he came with. “I’m sorry that these are just daisies.” I couldn’t hide my smile. He was so charming, so sweet, the fact that he brought me anything at all proves how much of a man he really is. 

“No, no. These are beautiful.” When I took them from his hand, an abrupt feeling of guilt fell over me. “My roommate gave me the rose to give to you.” I confessed to him, “I’m sorry. I panicked.” To my amazement, Daniel’s smile grew. 

“I still love it. Thank you.” He repeated to me, making me swoon over his words. I turned to the side in the door frame and gestured inside, “would you like to come in?” I asked. He glanced down at his watch.

“I would, but our reservation is in 20 minutes. You can put the flowers in, but we do need to get going.” I nodded, surprised that he would take me somewhere with a reservation, wondering where he could possibly be taking me.

______________________________________________________________________

I was extremely jittery in his passenger seat. I was excited, nervous, anxious, and happy all at once. I kept talking to Daniel about what I had done earlier in the day and asking how his day had been. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice which restaurant we pulled in front of until Daniel stopped the car and stepped out. Suddenly, I was taken back to the dinner party.

The familiar lights and crowds surrounding the entrance were exactly how they were a couple months ago. Daniel opened my door and held out his hand to help me get out. Looking around was like being taken back in time.

“It won’t be like last time.” Daniel comforted, holding my hand close to his chest. I looked up to him, his eyes and smile were soft, giving me confidence. Seeing his expression became gentle like that made me wonder if this was the same man that I worked for.

I nodded, then began to follow Daniel to the front, as a valet sped off with his car behind us. As we walked, I loosened my grip on his hand, expecting him to let go when I did. Instead, his grip tightened. I glanced up to him, his eyes were forward and his head was tall. I smiled to myself; it really won’t be like last time. And as we continued inside, I entangled my fingers with his, proving to him, and more importantly to myself, that this was real.

______________________________________________________________________

The eyes on us when we were taken to our table were watchful, but they didn’t make me uncomfortable. We were brought to a table in the middle of the room. I was able to keep a stoic expression as we traveled through the maze of tables, with my hand still conjoined with Daniel’s. I lost that control once we arrived to our table and Daniel stepped up and pulled out a chair for me. My cheeks burned red and I couldn’t conceal my smile.

“Thank you.” I beamed, lowering myself into it. Daniel squeezed my shoulder before taking his seat across from me. 

After a short time, the eyes around us one by one turned their attention back to their plates, and the commotion within the restaurant began again. As Daniel ordered a bottle of wine from the waiter, I shyly glanced around the room. Each guest was dressed to the nines, while I was in an attire that can only be described as business casual. Daniel was in a relaxed suit without a tie. He was dressed much more formal than I was.

Daniel reached across the table to touch my hand, bringing my attention back.

“How are you?” He asked. I looked down at his hand on mine and smiled.

“I’m fine. Just feel under dressed.” I admitted. Daniel raised an eyebrow and handed me a menu.

“No one here you need to impress other than me.” He chuckled. I stared into my lap, my cheeks burning at his comment. When I looked up, his eyes were locked on me, like he was challenging me to say otherwise. It made me smile more and I nodded.

I began to scan the menu, but quickly became overwhelmed with the number of choices and the unfamiliar names of cuisine. When the waiter arrived with the wine, and asked if we were ready to order, I looked up to Daniel with panic in my eyes. 

He smiled and turned to the waiter, “Yes, we will have the Mediterranean sampler to start with. Then I will have the 16-ounce rib eye with the mashed potatoes and asparagus sides.” The waiter quickly nodded like he had jotted down the orders in a mental pad. I frantically scanned the menu for the steaks, something familiar was easier to order in such an unfamiliar setting.

“And for you?” The waiter asked me. However, before I could look up from the menu, Daniel spoke.

“He will have the 8-ounce rib eye. With mashed potatoes and the steamed broccoli.” I stared at him as the waiter scurried away to put in the order. How did he know that I didn’t like asparagus? I thought to myself. I caught Daniel’s glance and he smiled. It was the smile he always flashed when he won something.

“You didn’t eat them at the dinner party.” He said to me, as if he could read my mind. Instead of questioning how he could remember that, I swooned. I still couldn’t believe that I was here with this man. He reached across the table with his palm up, an invitation. Gingerly I placed my hand into it, my eyes glued on his as I did. He smiled and squeezed my hand. There weren’t any words I could give to express how he made me feel, and it seemed like I didn’t need to.

______________________________________________________________________

It wasn’t until Daniel asked the waiter for the check that I realized how much time we had spent there. Most of the tables were empty and the noise around us was minimal. I stretched in my seat. I was pleasantly full of food and had a gentle buzz from the wine hovering over my head. I wanted to be surprised about how the evening had gone, but I couldn’t be. Daniel was just that kind of man. I couldn’t expect anything less from him. Everything was calculated and under his control. It honestly made me all the more attracted to him.

After he signed the check, he turned to me, slumped back in his chair and signed. “That was  _ satisfying _ .” He groaned with pleasure. I couldn't help myself, I giggled, high pitched like a little girl. My hands clasped over my mouth, but Daniel already noticed.

“And  _ that  _ was fucking adorable.” He laughed, his smile widening to fill his face. My hands moved to my cheeks as the blush rose from my neck. Still chuckling, Daniel stood and held out his hand to me, “we still have one more thing if you’re up for it.” I stared up to him, and gave him my hand. His smile grew as he pulled me to my feet. 

His smile made me realize something. I was WITH this man now. I was his and he was mine. He leaned down and kissed my cheek before turning toward the exit, smoothly pulling me along.

______________________________________________________________________

We parked in a lot by the beach. It was too late and dark for others to be there, ours was the only car in sight. I looked around us through the windows. The only lights were from the parking lot overhead, and the reflective kisses from the moon on the waves. I turned to Daniel, a little confused on why we were here.

“Dinner ran later than the movie I was planning on taking us to, so I thought we could take a little walk.” He explained, clearly understanding what my eyes were asking. I giggled softly. 

Daniel’s eyebrow raised as he watched me try to explain. “I’m sorry. This is nice and I want to go, but it’s just, walking on the beach is…”

“A cliche?” He interjected. I smiled again, hoping he didn’t take offense to the comment. “Yeah, I know, but you could make the same argument about dinner and a movie.” He nudged my shoulder with his elbow, playfully, making me smile more. After I nodded, he opened the door and stepped out. 

I followed quickly, feeling nervous about being out so late with no one else around. Once I was by Daniel’s side, and he took my hand, the fear left me.

We followed a sidewalk that lead to the sand. Before we descended into it, I dropped down onto the step and began to untie my shoes. Daniel, still standing, watched me.

“Whatcha doing?” He asked, sounding like I was doing something bizarre. I glanced up at him after tugging off my last sock and stuffing it into my empty shoes.

“Do you not do this when you go to the beach?” I replied, standing up with my shoes in my hand. I hopped off the step onto the sand. With the sun down, the burning substrate felt cool and soft. I couldn’t help but bury my toes into it, almost forgetting Daniel standing there, still staring at me.

“I don’t go to the beach. At all actually. Never felt the desire to.” He told me, slowly stepping into the sand, still wearing his shoes. I flinched, waiting for what I knew would happen. He took another step and paused. He shifted in his shoes, undoubtedly feeling the pile of sand that just intruded his footwear.

He glanced up to me, as if I had just said ‘I told you so’ and chuckled. Then bent his knees and fell back onto the step that I had seat on earlier.

“Yeah, no, sure, why I didn’t think about that?” He mumbled out loud. With each shoe he removed, he turned it over to dump out the contents. I smiled at him as he worked, feeling that for at least one moment, I was smarter than him. 

When he was done, we began to walk further out into the beach. With all the buildings and lights becoming farther and father behind us, the beach felt like an undiscovered world. I twisted my fingers around Daniel’s as I absentmindedly watched the water. Like a glittery sheet of black silk, it twinkled and shimmered with the gentle wind.

I breathed in deeply to fill my lungs with the salty air, tasting it on the back of my tongue. The beach was one of my favorite places to be. I passed this beach on my way to and from work and would often take seconds out of my excursion to take in the pure atmosphere. Seeing the water and sand free of litter, crowds, and loud voices made me remember why I loved being close to the ocean.

“Michael?” Daniel said, squeezing my hand to get my attention. I blinked and smiled up to him. “You are right here, but for a second there, you seemed thousands of miles away.” I blushed. I hadn’t shown him this side of myself before.

“This place has always been special for me.” I quietly told him, allowing the waves to drown out my voice. Tugging on his hand, I begin to walk Daniel closer to the edge, my toes digging into the wet sand as we did.

Letting go of his hand, I placed my shoes on the sand and bent down to roll up my pant legs, tapping Daniel’s leg to encourage him to do the same. 

Once he had fixed his pants, I took both of his hands in mine and began to slowly walk backwards into the water. Daniel was stiff and didn’t seem like he wanted to follow. The moonlight highlighted his eyes and cheekbones, displaying his hesitation. 

“Be careful.” He commanded, trying to make his voice gentle as the water reached my knees. I pulled on his hands, hoping that he would enjoy the crisp water with me. I smiled up to him.

“Don’t be afraid of the water.” I soothed, releasing one hand to stretch out farther into the dark water. His grip on my remaining hand tightened.

“I’m not. Just wary of what we can’t see in it.” He replied, standing fast in the shallow water. I reached down and jokingly splashed a small wave at him. He dropped my hand as he jumped back, smiling but still watchful. I chuckled, knowing he needed to relax.

“Don’t worry, it’s really not tha-” I took a step back, but abruptly there wasn’t a bottom. My foot continued to fall and the rest of me quickly fell after it. Salt water filled my mouth and stung my eyes. I reached out in the blackness for anything to grab, anything to stop me from sinking. The freezing water stung my skin and made my body stiff and difficult to move. My chest was tight and the pain was slowly increasing.

Suddenly, something large moved in the water with me. I could feel it getting close, but the icy water made retreat impossible. A vise ceased my outstretched wrist. It pulled me towards it, then there was air. 

Coughing, I gripped onto the thing that had saved me, as it dragged me to the sand. My eyes were still stinging when I slowly opened them. Daniel held me on the beach tightly. His clothes were as soaked as mine and his chest heaved heavily.

After a moment, his hands came over my face and pulled me so I was looking directly into his. His eyes were wide and darting all over me. 

“Are you ok?” He demanded to know. I nodded, still coughing lightly to get the excess sea water out of my lungs. “Kitten, I told you to be careful.” Before I could react to this sudden pet name, he continued. “I hate the open ocean. Too many things unknown about it. What lives in it, its structure...” He sighed and pulled me close, embracing me. I wrapped my arms around him, embarrassed that I needed saving after he warned me. 

“I thought you were gone, Kitten.” He went on, still holding me. “I didn’t think I would be able to find you in that black water.” He leaned back, allowing me to see his face again. This was when I realized he was crying. “Don’t ever- let go of my hand again.”  I stared into his eyes. I winced at his pull on my heart and soul. I could feel how scared he was, for me. Shivering, I pulled up a hand and placed it on his check, which was surprisingly warm despite having just been in the water.

“I promise.” I replied, leaning close enough to smell the freshness of his breath.

“I love you, Kitten.” He whispered, before pressing his lips against mine. He kissed me like he was going to devour me. He kissed me like it was going to be our last kiss ever. He kissed me like I was able to erase all the negativity in his life. He kissed me like I had always been his, and I kissed him back because I had always been his.

______________________________________________________________________

As much as I wanted to play out that movie scene where the two lovers make out on a beach, the wind had picked up and our dripping clothes made it painful to stay outside. We hustled to Daniel’s car, not before he pulled a blanket out of the trunk and wrapped me in it. I chuckled, all too aware of his preparation habits. 

We drove in blissful silence, his hand enmeshed with my own. When we arrived at my apartment building, Daniel rushed out to open my door while I struggled under the large blanket. 

He walked me up to my unit, holding my shoes, soaked wallet, and keys in one hand, and my grip in the other. I asked him if he wanted to come in, but he said that he wouldn’t be able to fit into anything I owned, but thanked me to asking. I stared up to him, nearly completely buried in the over sized blanket he had given me. He smiled, his cheekbones suddenly flushed with color.

“Get in there and change into warm clothes, Kitten. You have work on Monday.” He teased, leaning down to kiss my nose. I giggled, and nodded. I unlocked my door then paused.

“Kitten?” I asked. Daniel’s smile grew.

“I’ve always wanted to call you that. Not sure why that’s what would come to mind, but it fits you.” He replied. I blushed and nodded again. I stood on my toes and kissed him lightly, like a promise.

“I love you Daniel.” I whispered against his lips. His aggressive returned kiss told me his reply.

Closing the door behind me, I nearly fainted. I wasn’t sure what to expect from tomorrow, but I couldn’t be more excited to find out.


End file.
